Baby Talk

As I go back through old recordings, it’s amazing how many songs amount to stern & scary warnings to myself. “Shape up! Get it together, man!” Good examples all, of why self-awareness is by itself an inadequate mechanism for healthy change.

And I keep trying to remember the mind-set behind songs like these, to try and determine if I was secretly romanticizing (i.e., bragging about) the behavior I was ostensibly shaking my finger at — but I don’t think so. As usual, I was trying to be funny, but also I think I was genuinely scared. Of course, I had no idea how scary it would get.

Ned and I used to credit all of our songs as co-writes, though we never really wrote songs together. The one exception is, I think, this song, “Baby Talk.” I distinctly remember Ned writing this bridge, words and music.

Baby Talk

The Nightmares

When you’ve got something good in the palm of your hand
But you throw it away ’cause you don’t understand
Then the mail doesn’t come and the phone doesn’t ring
And you can’t comprehend why you don’t have a thing

You don’t have a thing

Well you can’t stay awake, and you can’t fall asleep
‘Cause you’re wondering why they all think you’re a creep
So you go to the bar and insult everyone
Well you are getting drunk, but you’re not having fun

You’re not having fun

You’ve been watching all the signs
But you just don’t comply
If you don’t want to die alone
You better try

While you’re thinking this out, drinking vodka and lime
You had better drink up, ’cause you don’t have much time